New national intelligence chief named

One of Australia's most experienced security specialists will become the national intelligence office chief when the new body is established next year.

Nick Warner will run the Office of National Intelligence (ONI), which will be the principal national security body advising the prime minister when it supersedes the Office of National Assessments (ONA) in 2018.

"I am confident that Mr Warner will ensure that Australia's intelligence agencies remain the most capable, agile and effective in the world," Malcolm Turnbull said on Friday.

The new office will play a key role coordinating strategy across the intelligence community.

Mr Warner was secretary of Defence from 2006, and has been running the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) since 2009.

He was criticised in August for posing with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte while mimicking the president's signature fist bump move, which Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said at the time was not Mr Warner's idea.

Mr Warner will run the ONA until the ONI replaces it.

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Mr Turnbull also announced Paul Symon as the new director-general of ASIS, after a career including stints as a Major-General and deputy chief of the army, and director of the Defence Intelligence Organisation.

Telstra's former chief information security officer Mike Burgess will also become the director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate, taking over from Paul Taloni.